getting that energy out puts people to work. it might make us a net energy exporter again. it makes manufacturing more attractive because energy is cheaper, so jobs, manufacturing jobs are starting to come back to the united states. we are on the threshold of very good news for america and very good news for the world, and i think that we'll revalidate our economic and political system. but we've got to get past the political gridlock, and we've got to deal with this deficit and debt issue, and we've got to show that we can make that hard decision. we need to address entitlements as part of that, and if we do, then these other things will kick in. >> okay. let's go to the middle east. two issues that have been a lot in the news, and there's been a lot of concern about iran, and you've written a number of op-eds giving a view on what you think is the best approach. and then there's the issue of syria. please say some words about what you see as the next steps with regard to iran, how do we see that unfolding in the time ahead, and then what's the way forward with syria? >> y